Figured since I like them, I would let people know about them.
Aftershokz Aeropex
I have 2 pair of Aftershokz Trekz that I have used for years.
They are starting to get to the point where they aren't lasting as long on runs and glitchy in playback so needed to get a new pair.
I also knew that the Trekz wouldn't last for my marathon distance, they are only rated for 6 hours and I expect it to go 6.5 hours.
The Aeropex is rated for 8 hours.
Amazon had a sale on the Aeropex so I decided to go for those.
After getting them, I was amazed that I could tell that they weigh a lot less.
I wore them on a run and I could definitely feel the difference and really like them.
Since they cost twice as much as the Trekz, I was hoping they would be worth it.
I think they are worth it.
Not sure if I will get a 2nd pair since I still have 2 pair of Trekz to help support my Aeropex.
Nathan EXODRAW 2.0 18OZ HANDHELD
I picked one of these up at a local running store to try out.
I have multiple water bladder/bottles but they are so long that it is hard to finish them and they flop around too much for me.
The Exodraw is a lot shorter than most so I wanted to give it a try.
It is way more expensive than the others I have gotten.
After using it, I really like it.
Nathan had a sale on their site and I decided to get 2 more so I could carry 2 at a time and have a spare for longer runs.
What I didn't realize when I ordered them was that I ended up with 2 EXODRAW 2.0 INSULATED 18OZ HANDHELD.
They have a different grip that I wanted to try.
They are longer but are easier in some ways to carry.
They also have a much bigger pocket to carry things.
Big enough to carry drink mixes, a Clif bar or a protein bar.
I like them but I also liked the short ones better for shorter runs.
The site still had a sale so I ordered 2 more of them.
Think I am definitely set for water bottles now.
TAILWIND
I have noticed on longer runs that I start to fade at about 15 miles.
However, after thinking about when I did my ultra, I didn't have the fade like I was seeing.
For the ultra, I had been taking breaks but also eating small portions of food.
Rice, Clif bar, eggs and cheese, or even a sunbutter burrito.
For the marathon, I would need to take in some calories to help with energy.
I have tried other energy/hydration drinks with sugar but they made me very gassy and gave me serious cramps.
I normally use Propel mixes but didn't have the calories to help keep me supported with fast energy.
I don't like doing things like pretzels or chips during the run.
I gave Tailwind a try and it doesn't seem to do the same thing as the other sugared drinks.
Really like the orange version.
The caffeine versions don't really add a lot of extra energy so not sure if it is worth getting those.
If I want caffeine, I can always add a crystal light citrus to the mix and not only get the boost but add more flavor.
I also have tried the Gu supplements and those seem to be ok.
Still experimenting with them.
Final piece of gear.
AGPTEK A16ST
I can stream blue tooth from my phone to my Aftershokz.
What I also wanted was a small mp3 player that could do the same but it had to support ebooks and remember where it left off after shutting down (many don't).
I really like this little player.
Not only does it have the blue tooth capability, it also has a speaker.
I can load up 16Gb on internal and 16Gb on a micro card for it to play music or audio books.
They make some other styles, but this one for sure works well.
And at $30 it was a great deal.
Not sure it is still available but they still make many others.
#YIAAGAITIA
#IAmWorthIt
#DFQ
#OneFatGuysJourneyToHealth
#SelfWorth
#WLSSuccess
#IfNotMeThenWho
